Automatic fire-door-closing apparatus.



E. L. THOMPSON. AUTOMATIC FIRE DOOR CLOSING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2a. 1916.

1 289,3@6@ Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

EVERETT L. THOMPSON, 0E novER,

COMPANY 01? AMERICA, or

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-DOOR-CLOSING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed October 28, 1916. Serial No. 128,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVERETT L. THOMP- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dover, Morris county, State of New J ersey, have made a certain new and useful Invention Relating to Automatic Fire-Door- Closing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same.

This invention relates especially to fire door closing apparatus comprising an impact disengaging device for the door or closure which may be of any suitable type and construction so that when under fire emergency conditions, for instance, the retainer devices are released the door is simultaneously given a sharp blow by the impact disengaging device so as to overcome any stifiness due to corrosion, rust, accumulation of dust, etc., so that the reliable and prompt movement of the door or other closure is thus insured. This impact disengaging device may comprise the usual counterweight employed in connection with such doors and this counterweight may, for-example, be connected with any suitable flexible suspension device, such as a chain which is normally inoperative but which when the weight is released under emergency conditions swings the weight toward the door to effect the desired impact disengaging action thereon.

The accompanying drawing shows in' elevation an illustrative embodiment of this invention and as indicated the fire wall 1 may be formed with the door opening 3 with which a suitable fire door 20 may cooperate in any desired way as by having the door mounted by the hangers 5 and wheels 25 on the inclined track 4 secured by brackets such as 23 to the fire wall. In this way the door has a normal closing tendency so that it tends to slide down the track and close the door opening andbe held in this closed position as by the clips or guides 22 with which the front edge of the door cooperates so that the door is held against lateral swinging movement and in substantial contact with the floor 24:. It is, however, desirable in many cases to have such a fire door arranged so that it can be manually closed when desired and for this purpose a suitable cord, such as 10, may be secured to the door as by the pin 8 and hook 9 connected to the counterweight vice 17 of the type described in cord which may run over the top pulley 7 on the bracket 6 so that the desired restraining action may be exerted on the door through any weight or other device connected to the cord which at the same time allows the door to be closed manually. For example, the cord may engage a suitable 13 having the counterweight pulley 11 through which the cord passes before its free upper. end is, for example, connected to any thermal releasingdevice preferably mounted adjacent the ceiling 2 of the room. This thermally operating releasing device may, for example, be a fusible link 14: of well known construction connected to the cord or instead of such a link or in connection therewith the cord may be connected to an air thermostat releasing dethe pending application of Ernest A. Lowe, Serial No. 27 A85, filed May 12, 1915, which has matured into Patent 1,202,177 of December 12, 1916. This thermostat may comprise the operate the enlarged end 26 ofthe retainer 16 so that when under fire conditions an unusually rapid rise of temperature occurs this release arm 15 is allowed to swing down so as to release the retainer 16 even in case the temperature does not rise sufiiciently to fuse and break the link 14 and release the door in this way.

The impact disengaging devices which may be used in connection with the door closing or controlling devices above described may comprise any suitable weight which falls or swings against the door or its mountings under emergency conditions and this disengaging device may with advantage comprise a suitable flexible suspension member normally loosely connected to the counterweight and having its upper end secured out of line with the counterweight and adjacent the door as by being secured to the bolt or pin 19 secured to the fire wall'in any way adjacent the rear edge 21 of the fire door. This chain can thus permit the normal manual closing movement of the door without interference, while at the same time when the releasing devices operate in the event of fire and the cord end is released the counterweight is thus released and falls by the action of gravity so that it tightens up this suspending chain 18 and then swings. with the chain about the bolt 19 as a centerv movable release arm 15 with which may c0- so that it strikes a sharp blow on the rear edge of the door when it reaches the dotted position indicated. This impact efi'ectively disengages the door from its normal 1110perative position and starts its closing movement in this instance. This is highly desirable under service conditions since in this way the very considerable proportion of such fire doors, shutters or other fire controlling devices which through an accumulation of dust, corrosion or other cause will not move automatically when the retaining devices are gently released will be efi'ectively started by this counterweight disengaging device so that they become much more effective for fire prevention.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of illustrative embodiments, forms, proportions, parts, materials, arrangements and methods of operation and use, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claiml. The fire door closing apparatus com prising an inclined track cooperating with a door opening, a door mounted on said track to have a selficlosing tendency, a retaining cord connected to said door and passing over an upper pulley, a counterweight and connected pulley with which said cord cooperates, a thermal releasing device connected to the end of said cord and comprising a fusible link and an impact disengaging device comprising a suspension chain connected to said counterweight pulley and having'its upper endsecured adjacent the rear edge of said door and outof line with said counterweight to swing said counterweight against and exert adisengaging impact on said door when said releasing device operates.

2. The fire door closing apparatus comprising an inclined track cooperating with a door opening, a door mounted on said track tov have a self-closing tendency, a retaining cord connected to said door and passing over an upper pulley, a counterweight and connected pulley with which said cord cooperates, a thermal releasing device connected to theend of said cord and an impact disengaging device comprising a suspension member connected to, said counterweight pulley 'andhaving its upper end secured out of line wit said-counterweight to swing said counterweight. against andexerta disengaging impact on sald' door when saldreleasing device operates.

8. The fire door closing apparatus comprising an inclined track cooperating with a door opening, a door, mounted on said track to have a self-closing tendency, areta n ng cord connected to said door, a counmember cooperates,

device operates. I 8. A fire controlling apparatus. compris- 111g a fire control member mounted adjacent terweight with which said cord cooperates, a releasing device connected to said cord and an impact disengaging devicev comprising a suspension member connected to. said .counterweight and having its upper end secured out of linewith said counterweight to swing said counterweight against and exert a disengaging impact on said door when said releasing device operates. I

4.. The fire door closing apparatus coinprising a track cooperating with a door opening, a door mounted on said track to have a self-closing tendency, a flexible re taining member connected to said door, a counterweight with which said retaining member cooperates, a thermal releasing device connected to said cord and an impact disengaging device comprising means to cooperate with said counterweight to move said counterweight against and exert a disengaging impact on said door when said releasing device operates.

5. The fire door'closing apparatus comprising a door mounted adjacent an opening to have a self-closing tendency, a flexible retaining member connected to said door,

a counterweight with which said retaining member cooperates, a thermal releasing device connected to said cord and an impact disengaging device comprising means to cooperate with said counterweight to move said counterweight against and exert a disengaging impact on said door when said releasing device operates. x

6. The fire door closing apparatus comprising a door mounted adjacent an opening to have a self-closing tendency, a flexible retaining member connected to said door, a counterweight with which said retaining a releasing device connected to said retaining member and an impact disengaging device comprising means to cooperate with said counterweight to move said counterweight to exert a disengaging impact on said door when said releasing device operates.

7. The fire door closing apparatus comprising a door mounted to control an opening and having a self-closing tendency, a retaining device connected to said door, a thermal releasing device connected to said retaining device and an impact disengaging device comprising a weight released by said releasing device and a suspension member connected to said weight and having itsup per end secured adjacent the rear edge of said door and out of line with said weight to enable said weight to exert a disengaging impact on said door when saidreleasi'ng an opening and normally tending to move with respect thereto, a retalner comprising a thermal releasing device connected tosaid fire control member and an impact disengaging device connected to said releasing device and comprising a Weight and a suspension member connected to said Weight and having its upper end secured out of line with said Weight to swing said Weight against and exert a disengaging impact on said fire control member When said releasing device operates.

9. A fire controlling apparatus comprising a fire control member mounted adjacent an opening and normally tending to move with respect thereto, a retainer comprising a thermal releasing device connected to said fire control member and an impact disengaging device connected to said releasing device and comprising a Weight to strike against and exert a disengaging impact on said fire control member When said releasing device operates.

10. The fire controlling apparatus comprising a fire control member mounted adj a- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing cent an opening and normally tending to move With respect thereto, a retainer comprising a releasing device connected to said fire control member and an impact disen gaging device connected to said releasing device. to strike against and exert a disengaging impact on said fire control member When said releasing device operates.

11. The fire controlling apparatus comprising a fire control member mounted adj acent an opening, a retainer comprising a releasing device connected to said fire control member and an impact disengaging device connected to said releasing device to strike against and exert a disengaging starting impact on said fire control member When said releasing device operates.

EVERETT L. THOMPSON.

WVitnesses E. L. THOMPSON, Jr., CHAs. N. FULLER.

the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

